Essay on My Values in Life

Introduction.

Personal values are qualities that one considers to be worthwhile and, as such, act as the driving force in their life. They take precedence over other qualities and therefore dictate the manner in which an individual may behave in particular instances. When it comes to my values in life, I have a few that I hold dear.

These values are a result of my upbringing, development, my principles, as well as my socialization and the culture around me. In this “my values in life” essay, I shall identify the core beliefs that I hold and how they influence my everyday choices, actions, and plans that I make.

My Values in Life

One of the educational values that are fundamental to me is achievement. This is a result of my belief that what defines me most as a person is my determination to succeed and my desire to make a positive contribution to society through my career. Achievement is, therefore, one of the values that are most important to me since, in today’s world, achievement and success are mostly tied together with educational success. As a result of this, I hold my educational exploits in high esteem since education is one of the avenues where one’s determination leads to quantifiable success.

I greatly value close relationships with my friends and constantly seek to cement the same. This is because good friends can assist one in achieving his/her goals in life and can sometimes even be closer than family. For this reason, I invest a lot of time and effort in my close friends. I make it a priority to be a part of the significant moments in my friends’ lives, such as their birthdays, wedding days, and even baby christening ceremonies. In addition to this, I always ensure that I inquire as to their well beings periodically.

Growth and personal development for me is a very fundamental value, and its importance in my life cannot be understated. It is my belief that my life is not worth much if I do not strive to constantly improve on my achievements as well as in becoming a better person. This value of personal growth and development greatly impacts my daily living, especially when establishing new relations. It is generally my rule that if a new relationship does not add any value to my life, then I should not waste my time exploring it.

One of the constant realities in human life is that we will always be surrounded by needy people. As such, on a social level, I always strive to give my services to the less fortunate. In my opinion, a life well lived is one that is lived in such a way that it makes a difference to someone else’s life. This is the philosophy with which I have led my life up to this point, and at all times, I try to make a difference in the lives of the people that surround me. Helping other people is, therefore, a value that I value not only in myself but also in other people.

While modern-day living has somewhat led to a degradation of the value of family from what it used to be in gone years, I still hold the value of family to be very important in my life. To me, one’s family members are the ones who will stand by you no matter the situation and encourage you through life’s troubles.

While I reckon that family may not always be supportive or as ideal as I envision it, in my experience, my family is closely knit and always stands up for me. I, therefore, always have my family in mind when making my decisions and consider how my actions will affect them. In addition, I try to seek guidance from members of the family who are more experienced than I am before making monumental decisions in my life.

It has been argued that honest men and women are a dying breed. This statement holds true in our capitalistic society, where profits and personal gains are the primary objectives. The means by which one achieves success is often overlooked, and as such, the ends justify the means.

Even in the midst of such an environment, I still hold honesty as one of my core values. This is mostly a result of my upbringing, whereby honesty was applauded and dishonesty shunned. Also, I have come to realize that when one achieves success through honesty, the level of satisfaction that comes with it is truly unrivaled by any other feeling.

Owing to my upbringing, I have a huge regard for religion. As such, one of my spiritual values is engaging myself in some religious organizations. While it is true that most of my religious values are a result of my upbringing, I have, over time, come to embrace them as my own and therefore make it my personal duty to be actively involved in my religious organization.

To me, this brings about a sense of balance and helps me be more reflective and appreciative in my life. My religious values impact my decision-making since I try not to make choices that are contrary to my religious beliefs.

In this paper, I have identified some of the values that I hold dear to me. I have also identified how these values impact the choices that I make as well as the actions that I take. From this deep exploration of my values, I have come to the realization that my values greatly dictate how I treat the people around me as well as how I prioritize matters. I believe that as a result of my values, I strive harder to achieve the things that I want in life, and as such, I am a better person as a result of them.

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IvyPanda. (2023, October 29). Essay on My Values in Life. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-values-in-life/

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Essay on My Values in Life." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-values-in-life/.

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my life principles essay

101 Life Principles To Live By Daily

  • by Celes     |    
  • Filed in Self-Improvement

Life Principles

Do you have a personal manual of life principles to live by? What adages do you use to guide you in your everyday living?

Today, I’d like to share a list of 101 important life principles to live by in life. This list is a compilation of important life lessons I’ve learned at one point or another and it pertains to different areas of life from dealing with people, to our emotions, to life’s challenges, to achieving success, to handling failure. I’d say that this list is like a cheat sheet to many of the articles at Personal Excellence, because it embodies many of the principles and virtues I write about here.

Even though this list has 101 points, don’t overwhelm yourself by reading and applying all the points right away. These principles are meant to be read and reflected on over time, as opposed to being a checklist that you tick off. As you read each point, think about the truth behind this principle, how it applies to your life, and the actions you should take in accordance to this principle.

For example, with the first principle “ Ability is more of a function of the time you spend honing your craft, rather than a result of what you were born with,” think about the skills that are important in your work and life. Next, identify ways you can hone them. Then, commit to these steps with a deadline and act on them. :)

Another example: with the second principle on “ Abundance ,” think about whether you tend to act with a scarcity or an abundance mindset. Do you always fear that you can’t succeed, or that people are going to rip you off, or that you won’t get enough of something? This is a scarcity, fear-based mindset. How can you switch to an abundance mindset, which is a mindset that helps you focus on opportunities, love, and abundance, such that you can then create such an outcome for yourself?

I now present to you 101 life principles, written by yours truly:

10,000 Hours

  • Abundance : We live in a world of abundance. There are unlimited wealth and unlimited opportunities for everyone. So don’t worry about whether you can succeed in something and focus on how to succeed in it.
  • Action : is a necessary part of success.
  • “And”, not “Or” : It’s not about choosing Option A or Option B. It’s about Option C – an option you create which has everything you want, and more.
  • Anger : is the most volatile form of emotion you can ever burden yourself with. Every bit of anger you hold on to damages your soul. Whenever you feel angry, remember that the person you are hurting is yourself.
  • Annoyances : Everything that annoys you mirrors something inside you. Rather than look outward for the solution, look inside to understand where that annoyance is coming from. Read: Day 22: Mirror an Annoyance,  Be a Better Me in 30 Days

Girl Leaning on Tree

  • Awareness : is the first step to the resolution of any problem.
  • Beauty : Physical beauty is great but it doesn’t last. Inner beauty, on the other hand, stands the test of time. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t improve our physical beauty – we should focus on being beautiful, both on the inside and out.
  • Beauty, #2 : There is no one standard of beauty. Beauty comes in all shapes, all sizes, all forms, all colors. You are beautiful as you are. Stop trying to conform to the image of beauty constructed by the society and embrace the beauty that is you.
  • Being yourself : It is better to be a first rate version of yourself than a second rate version of someone else. ( Judy Garland )
  • Beliefs : Your beliefs affect your life more than you think they do. If you want to have the best life experience you can ever have, switch out your disempowering beliefs with empowering ones.
  • Beliefs, #2 : Half the things you say are usually more to do with your internal beliefs and issues than to do with other people.
  • Blame : Whenever you point a finger at someone else, there are three fingers pointing back at you.

Stacked coins

  • Change : Just because you have realized something doesn’t mean the world around you will change right away. It takes time for your thoughts to ripple out and effect the reality because the physical world is denser than the spiritual one. So don’t be hung up with what’s on the outside but stay true to what’s inside you. Be focused. (Refer to #33: Focus)
  • Change that lasts : It’s better to create sustainable change than change that is quick but does not last. Stop going for the easy way out. Learn how to create lasting change instead.
  • Changing people : You can’t change other people. You can only change yourself.
  • Comparing : There is no need to compare because everyone is different. Your goal is not to be like others but to be yourself. Stop comparing with others and focus on being yourself instead. (See #11)
  • Competition : The only competition you have is yourself.
  • Conditional things : Something that is conditional can never stand the test of time. For example, if your partner wants to be with you  only  if you do X, Y and Z, whereby X, Y and Z are not things that you believe in. Or say, if a parent will only love his child if he aces his exams. These are relationships rooted in fear and not what you want to be a part of.

Confidence and Personal Power

  • Criticism : helps you to become better. Rather than reject it, celebrate it. Read:  How To Give Constructive Criticism: 6 Helpful Tips
  • Criticism, #2 : Receiving criticism means what you are doing is worthwhile enough for people to critique on. One will not criticize unless he/she feels he/she has a stake in it. The more criticism you get, the better, because that means you are doing something of real value and worth.
  • Cynics, Skeptics, and Pessimists : are not worth arguing with. They are negative time bombs waiting to go off. You will only end up (more) bitter, damaged, and upset at the end of the exchange. Read:  How To Deal With Energy Vampires: 8 Simple Tips  |  Manifesto version
  • Death : is part and parcel of life. With every death comes a new birth; with every birth comes an eventual death. Don’t mourn the dead. Celebrate the fact that they lived.
  • Death, #2 : There is nothing to fear about death for it happens to everyone. Rather than fear death, focus on living your best life instead. Read:  Do You Dread Growing Older?
  • Doing everything alone : You can’t accomplish everything by yourself. Even if you do, you can never accomplish as much as compared to if you had the help of others. Involve others in your goals. Delegate, outsource, and hire where applicable. Ask for help when you need to.
  • Escaping : has never solved any problem for anyone. The moment you decide to face your problems is the moment you gain power over your life. (See #78)
  • Failure : is a necessary part of success. Every great success is almost always preceded by a great failure. It’s more important that you learn from your failure(s) and harness the lesson(s) so you can achieve your next success. Read:  How To Start When You Have Nothing

Fearful girl

  • Fear, #2 : No matter how much fear you have, your fear can be conquered with love. (By love, I’m referring to universal love, not specifically romantic love.)
  • Focus : is what happens when you stop letting yourself get distracted by the unimportant things.
  • Force : You can’t force things to happen if they are not meant to be. There is a time and place for everything. You can only do what you can and let the universe take care of the rest.
  • Forgiveness : isn’t about forgiving other people. It’s really about forgiving yourself. To quote Lewis Smedes, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” Read: Day 25: Forgive Someone,  Be a Better Me in 30 Days
  • Friendships : A friendship is a bond between two like-minded souls. If there are friends you no longer feel an affinity for, perhaps it’s time to let the friendships go and work on building new friendships. Read: Why I Parted Ways With My Best Friend of 10 Years  and  How to Have More Best Friends: My Heartfelt Guide

Broken egg

  • Fulfillment : You create a more fulfilling life by giving attention to the good things, not the bad things; by celebrating the good stuff, not whining about the bad stuff; by working on things that you love, not doing the things that you hate.
  • Future : You can’t control the future, but you can affect the present moment. If you want to have a better future, create it.
  • Generosity : Being generous doesn’t deprive you. When you are generous to others, you subsequently receive more into your life. Read:  Are You Emotionally Generous?
  • Giving and Receiving : Rather than think about what you can receive (whether from people or from the universe), think about what you can give to others.
  • Growth : Always challenge yourself to reach greater heights. There is always room to be better, regardless of who you are or what you have done. Be attached to the notion of growth, not an end state.
  • Habits : Your habits make you who you are. Excellent habits give you an excellent life. Read:  Develop a Good Habit in 21 Days

Girl smiling with a seashell

  • Haste : Sometimes, more haste leads to less speed. Being in a hurry can lead to more mistakes compared to if you were not.
  • Humility : will earn you more respect, acknowledgment and recognition than arrogance ever will. There’s no need to be a show off. If you are really good at what you do, it will automatically show through your accomplishments.
  • Ideals : are good but don’t let them stop you from living in the present. They are meant to inspire you and give you a direction to move towards so that you can maximize your present moment (not to take you away from living in it).
  • Improving :  If you think you can’t improve any further in something, then you are just not aware of your areas for improvement.
  • Individuality : Everyone is different. Accept that each and every person is unique. Stop imposing expectations on people.
  • Inspiration : comes from being in the state of flow. If you’re not feeling inspired, you’re not in a state of flow.
  • Intuition : When in doubt, follow your intuition. It will guide you to where you need to be.
  • Intuition and Logic : Contrary to popular belief, intuition and logic are not at odds with each other – they go hand-in-hand. Hone your analytical mind through constant thinking. Cultivate your intuition by listening to your gut. They will be the biggest tools you have at your disposal.
  • Jealousy : is what happens when you resent someone’s success. But you don’t have to, because you are capable of achieving that same level of success, and more.
  • Judgment : Judging people doesn’t make you a better person. It only makes you an ugly one.
  • Laughter : Perhaps a little cliche, but laughter is one of the best medicines for the soul. When’s the last time you had a good laugh? If you haven’t been laughing/smiling/grinning for a while, maybe you have been too stifled in your life. Go do something that makes you loosen up and laugh out loud.
  • Let go : Sometimes you have to let go of what you have now in order to move forward. Check out Day 28: Let Go from Live a Better Life in 30 Days .

Girl alone in field

  • Life : is an experience that you actively create, not something you wait around to “happen”.
  • Limits : The only limit in life is yourself. No one’s stopping you from becoming better and achieving more except yourself. To reach greater heights, identify your limits and remove them accordingly.
  • Love : isn’t something you deliberately seek out. It’s something that happens when you follow your life path, become the right person, and meet that right person along your life’s journey.

Consciousness

  • Low consciousness people , #2 : Low consciousness people hold you back from reaching greater heights. These include energy vampires, critical people, dishonest characters, and people with temperament issues. Let them go from your life and send them love as you do that.
  • Material objects : are just tools to help you enjoy your life. You do not carry them with you when you die. So, don’t invest yourself in them. Rather, invest yourself in the development of your consciousness. Read:  Materialism Breeds Unhappiness

Meaning of Life

  • Mistakes : are there to help you learn more about yourself. Don’t be hung up about the mistakes you make. Don’t be afraid of making (more) mistakes either. Be hungry about the lessons they embody.
  • Money : is a symbol of value exchange between people. The amount of money you earn is simply a representation of the value you are giving to others. To earn more money, simply create more value for others.
  • Motivation : comes naturally when you do what you love.
  • Nasty people : There is always something good in everyone – even in the nastiest of people. It’s up to you to recognize that.
  • Nasty people, #2 : The nastiest of people are also the unhappiest of people. Be kind to them because they are the ones who need your love the most.
  • Obstacles : The obstacles that lie between you and your goals are not there to stop you from reaching your goals. They are there to stop the people who don’t want them enough. (Original quote by Randy Pausch. Watch his commencement speech at Carnegie Mellon:  10 Powerful and Inspiring Graduation Speeches  (#3 on the list))
  • Opportunities : don’t come knocking on your door just by virtue of you doing nothing. You can either passively wait for opportunities to fall onto your lap or actively create them yourself.

Fear of loss

  • Past : You can’t change the past; it has happened and it is what it is. Fixating on it isn’t going to get you anywhere. You can only change the present to create a better future.
  • People you dislike : Your life is limited, so spend it around people you like.
  • Pleasing other people : When you live a life trying to please others, you end up not living a life at all. You are just living others’ lives under the facade of your life.
  • Positivity : If you want to have more positivity in your life, start by being more positive yourself. Spot the silver lining behind every dark cloud. Recognize the strengths of the people you are with. See the good side of everything you have.
  • Possibilities : We live in a world of possibilities. Anything you have ever dreamed of, imagined, or wished for, is possible, as long as you set your heart and soul to it.
  • Power : You have all the power in you to do everything you ever want, and more. So start doing what you want and let the power in you emerge.
  • Procrastination : is a sign of a bigger issue. Stop trying to fix your procrastination as a problem and start thinking about why you are procrastinating in the first place. Read:  How To Overcome Procrastination  (5-part series)
  • Progress : Celebrate how far you’ve come, and not how much you have yet to achieve. The former will empower you to greatness, while the latter is rooted in fear and only serves to hold you back from greatness.
  • Priorities : Know what matters to you and work on them. These are the things that will bring you the greatest happiness in life. Read:  Put First Things First
  • Lead by example : If you want to initiate change, lead by example. Words can only do so much. A living example shows everything.
  • Reality : Just like how the kind of fruit a tree bears is a result of the seed it is sown from, your external reality is merely a reflection of your internal beliefs. Change your beliefs and your reality will follow suit. (See #12)

Inspirational Quote: “There is no sense in crying over spilt milk. Why bewail what is done and cannot be recalled?” — Sophocles

  • Relationships : A relationship is a bond between two dynamic individuals. It should be actively created between the parties involved, and not something you base off of norms and other relationships. Don’t impose expectations on your relationships; nurture them and let them come into their own. Read:  How to Improve Your Relationship With Your Parents  (series)
  • Resistance : The more you resist something, the more it will persist.
  • Respect : Everyone, no matter who, deserves respect. If you want others to respect you, it’s important you respect them first.

CEO - Chief Executive Officer

  • Results : The results you get in life are a function of the actions you take. The more actions you take, the more results you will see.
  • Root cause : Behind every occurrence is a root cause. Dig for the root cause and address that. Read:  Create Real Change In Life: Address Root Cause vs. Effects
  • Seeking love : If you are desperately seeking love, perhaps there’s something inside you that’s blocking you from seeing it. Because love is everywhere, around you, and in you. There’s no need to seek love so much as you just need to be aware of its presence . You are the product of love. You are the biggest source of love. You live in a world of love. Read:  8 Tips on Attracting Authentic Love Into Your Life
  • Settling : Settling is for losers. Don’t ever, ever, settle for something less than your ideal. Your ideal is yours to have. Fight for it.
  • Spite : When you try to spite other people, you are really just hurting yourself. The people you are trying to spite may not care. In fact, they may not even know how hung up you are over them. All you are doing is just acting out a self-created story and script in your mind.
  • Success : Success is the result of being great at what you do. Being great at what you do is the result of hard work. Hard work is the result of determination, persistence, and relentless focus.
  • Success, #2 : There is no such thing as an overnight success. Every success you see, even if it seemingly quick, is the result of long periods of hard work that took place long before the point of success.

Clock — Leaving things to last minute

  • Truth : It is always better to tell the truth because you stay clean that way. When you tell a lie, you live a lie forever. Not only that, you almost always have to cover it up with new lies. It is a cycle that never ends.
  • Unhappiness : 100% of the unhappiness you experience in your life is a product of your thoughts. If you want to be happy, then make a conscious choice to be happy (see #44). Read:  10 Surefire Ways To Be Unhappy
  • Vengeance : is an act of force/fear that doesn’t solve the problem. Look at the history of mankind and the wars that were waged. Go with the path of love, not fear/vengeance/force.
  • What’s meant to be : If something is meant to be, it will happen (provided you do your part in making it happen). The more tightly you try to grab on to something, the more it will slip away. It’s just like trying to grab sand – it slips through the cracks of your fingers regardless how tightly you grab it.
  • Yourself : Don’t do things for others; do them for yourself.

What principles above resonate with you? What can you start applying today?

This is part of the Inspiration & Motivation series. Check out the other articles in the series:

  • 10 Powerful Graduation Speeches You Don’t Want To Miss
  • 13 Meaningful Movies With Life Lessons To Learn
  • 20 Amazing Commercials To Inspire the Greatness in You
  • 56 Most Inspirational Songs of All Time
  • 15 Beautiful Inspirational Wallpapers For Your Desktop
  • 15 More Beautiful Wallpapers With Positive Affirmations
  • 101 Inspiring Quotes of All Time
  • 101 Things To Do Before You Die
  • 101 Ways To Be a Better Person
  • 101 Ways To Live Your Life To The Fullest
  • 101 Important Questions To Ask Yourself in Life
  • 101 Life Principles to Live By Daily

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Hi, I’m Celes. Thanks for reading. Personal Excellence is where I write about how to live our best life as we tackle life’s challenges.  About Me »

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  • How To Deal With Uncertainty
  • How To Overcome Anger
  • How To Say No To Others
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  • How To Deal With Critical People
  • How To Handle Negative Criticism
  • How To Give Constructive Criticism
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my life principles essay

my life principles essay

18 Life Principles For Greater Living

Tony Fahkry

Life principles to guide you in this life.

1. Love More

Not just people or things, but yourself. Many of life’s problems result from a lack of self-love. To love more means to connect with the deeper intelligence that guides your being. You are the embodiment of love, irrespective of whether you’re hurt or betrayed. Set aside those feelings and know that you are the ocean swimming in a sea of love. Drown yourself in it.

2. Be Vigilant With Your Thoughts

Be mindful of your thoughts and don’t let them consume you. Do you think uplifting thoughts or are they filled with self-doubt and pessimism? Do you look for the silver lining in situations, or do you consider what could go wrong? Do you have a fixed or growth mindset? Despite people’s beliefs, our thoughts are not fixed. They’re shaped by being aware of them and not believing everything you think.

3. Practice Mindfulness

@colettedominique / Twenty20.com

Bring your thoughts to the forefront of your mind and resist being a victim to unconscious behaviors. Mindfulness invites you to bring your attention to what’s taking place in your life instead of reliving past events. It means connecting with the present moment instead of being a victim to the past.

4. Regular Personal Development

Immerse yourself in inspiring material that encourages you to become someone of character. If we don’t shower, brush our teeth, or exercise, we fall victim to destructive habits and pay the price in illness. People claim since they can’t see the benefits of personal development, everything is fine.

5. Attitude Is Everything

Your attitude is more important than your outlook, because it influences how you show up in life. How is a positive attitude developed? By overcoming life’s obstacles rather than retreating from them. As you approach life with courage, you overcome your fears that once crippled you.

6. Be Of Service To Others

We all have a purpose, some discover it early in life while sadly, others die with a song in their heart. You can be of service to others in the smallest way through your thoughts, words, and actions. You needn’t lend your time to charities to be of service, although it’s helpful. Give of your time and resources by enriching other people’s lives. Even sending peaceful thoughts to another person is a step in the right direction.

7. Character Is More Important Than Reputation

Your reputation can be destroyed in moments, while character takes a lifetime to build. Consider celebrities involved in scandals who squander their character and reputation. Be mindful of whom you’re becoming. Don’t forsake this for a reputation that lasts a fraction of the time to build good character.

8. Let Go Of Worry, Fear, And Anxiety

Have you noticed that what you worry about rarely happens? We’re notorious for fabricating stories to protect us in case such events transpire. Yet if we continue down this path, we will attract these circumstances because of the energy devoted to it. Replace negativity with enriching thoughts that bring you closer to the life you wish to live.

9. Make Peace With The Past

To avoid excess baggage in the future, we need to heal the past. You’ve heard it said that the past is a figment of your imagination and no longer exists. Reliving the past derails a bright future because your mind is stuck dwelling on something no longer relevant.

10. Happiness Comes From Within

The biggest fraud sold to mankind is that happiness is attained via success, fame, wealth, or a suitable partner. Yet one need only look to people who have these things and are still unfulfilled, sometimes depressed. If you’re unhappy and gain wealth, you’ll continue to be unhappy because having more of these things amplifies what is lacking.

11. Surround Yourself With Great People

Especially those who bring out the best in you. If we lack self-esteem, we attract like-minded people. They are likely to notice the disowned parts within us we disapprove of. The other person will then reflect this through their interaction with us and we retaliate to prove them wrong. Surround yourself with people who see your greater qualities and don’t take you for granted.

12. Be Here And Now

Stop worrying about the future until it arrives. We worry about circumstances and miss out on the aliveness of the present moment. The future never arrives as we expect, so it’s pointless to worry about something that exists as thoughts. It’s wise to have goals, dreams, and ambitions. Yet if we’re not aligned with the motivation to accomplish these things, when they arrive it will not be as we expect. This is how a midlife crisis ensues because our vision of the future does not match reality.

13. Practice Gratitude

Gratitude means to appreciate what you have in your life instead of what is lacking. We can focus on the negative or positive, and either way we’re right. One brings unfavorable circumstances, while the other carries positive aspects. Be grateful for the smallest things because somewhere, someone is longing for what you take for granted.

14. Forgive Yourself And Others

Forgiveness is a doorway to heal the past. Many people forgive others, yet they’re unable to forgive themselves. I invite you to start with yourself first. Forgive yourself completely and open the window for love to heal. Remember, forgiveness does not mean to forget; it means to see the past in a new light.

15. Practice Acceptance And Detachment

Acceptance means not resisting what’s taking place in your life. Irrespective whether it’s an unfortunate situation, it can pave the way for something wonderful to transpire. Detachment means to distance ourselves from a desired outcome and allow circumstances to play out until the complete picture has emerged. Only then do we realize everything that takes place unfolds as it should, for our greater purpose.

16. Honor Your Feelings

Medical doctors now realize the harmful effects of toxic emotions which can lead to illness. Perhaps you were told not to express your emotions, apparent in cultures where it’s viewed as a sign of weakness. To connect with your emotions invites you to honor your feelings and express them in a healthy way. This doesn’t mean acting on your feelings of anger. Rather, investigate what the anger is seeking to represent.

17. Discover And Live Your Purpose

People who live their purpose lead healthier and robust lives. They’re happy pursuing that which makes their spirit come alive. There’s a purpose within you waiting to reveal itself. Dependent on your age, you may have realized it or are still discovering it. The key is to experiment until you find a purpose that resonates with you. Your purpose will bring joy to your life and those you serve.

18. Be Kind To Everyone You Meet

Tony fahkry.

Self-empowerment author, expert speaker and coach.

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Essay on Principles In Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on Principles In Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Principles In Life

What are principles.

Principles are like rules that guide us in life. They help us know what is right and wrong. Think of them as a map for making good choices. Everyone has their own set of principles, which shape how they act and think.

Importance of Principles

Having principles is important because they give us a clear direction. They are like a strong root that keeps a tree standing during a storm. When we face tough times, our principles help us stay true to ourselves.

Examples of Principles

Examples of principles include honesty, kindness, and hard work. If honesty is your principle, you always tell the truth. Kindness means you are nice to others. Hard work shows you put effort into what you do.

Living by Principles

Living by your principles isn’t always easy, but it is rewarding. It means you do what you believe is right, even when no one is watching. This builds a good character and earns you respect from others.

In conclusion, principles are the foundation of a good life. They guide us to make the best choices and live with honor. It is important for everyone, especially students, to understand and live by their principles.

250 Words Essay on Principles In Life

Principles are like rules that guide us in the right direction. They are the big ideas that help us know what is good and bad, and how to behave every day. Think of them as a map for life, showing us how to be our best selves.

Why Principles Matter

Having principles is very important. They help us make choices that are fair and kind. When we follow good principles, we can make friends, earn trust, and feel good about ourselves. They are like a strong foundation for a house, keeping our lives stable and secure.

Examples of Good Principles

Some good principles are honesty, respect, and responsibility. Being honest means telling the truth. Respect is about treating others the way you want to be treated. Responsibility means doing what you say you will do and taking care of your duties.

Principles in Action

Putting principles into action can sometimes be hard, but it’s worth it. For example, if a friend tells you a secret, keeping it shows honesty and respect. Doing your homework on time shows responsibility. Each time you follow a principle, it’s like a muscle getting stronger.

In conclusion, principles are the invisible helpers in our lives. They guide us to make the right choices and live in a way that brings happiness to ourselves and others. By sticking to good principles, we build a life that is full of trust, friendship, and pride.

500 Words Essay on Principles In Life

Imagine you are playing a game. To win, you must follow the rules. In life, principles are like those rules. They are the important ideas that guide our actions and decisions, like invisible signposts that help us choose right from wrong. Just as rules make games fair and fun, principles help make our lives better and happier.

Think about your best friend. What makes them special? Maybe they are kind, always tell the truth, and share their snacks with you. These qualities are based on principles such as honesty, kindness, and sharing. When people live by good principles, they earn trust and respect from others. It’s like being a good team player in sports; everyone wants you on their team because you play fair and work hard.

Common Principles

There are many principles that many people agree are important. One of them is honesty, which means telling the truth. Another is respect, which is treating others well and valuing their feelings. Courage is also a principle, and it means being brave enough to do what is right, even when it is hard. Think of these principles as the main ingredients in a recipe for a good life.

Principles at School

At school, principles show up in many ways. Doing your own work and not copying from someone else is following the principle of honesty. Raising your hand and waiting your turn is about respect. And standing up for a classmate who is being teased shows courage. When you follow these principles at school, you help make it a nice place for everyone.

Principles at Home

Home is another place where principles are important. Doing chores without being asked shows responsibility, another good principle. Listening to your parents and siblings shows respect. And admitting you broke a vase instead of blaming your brother or sister shows honesty. When family members follow principles, it keeps the home happy and peaceful.

Challenges to Principles

Sometimes, following principles can be tough. You might be tempted to lie to avoid trouble or to ignore someone who needs help because you are busy. It’s normal to find it hard to always stick to your principles. But remember, just like practicing a sport makes you better at it, sticking to your principles even when it’s hard makes you a stronger person.

Living by principles doesn’t mean you are perfect. It means trying your best to do what’s right. It means saying sorry when you make a mistake and trying to fix it. It’s about learning and growing. When you live by good principles, you build a strong character, just like building muscles by exercising.

In conclusion, principles are the rules for the game of life. They help us know what’s right and wrong and guide us to be our best selves. By living according to good principles like honesty, respect, and responsibility, we can make our lives and the lives of those around us better. Remember, every choice you make is a chance to show what principles you live by. So choose wisely, and let your principles light the way.

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How To Live A Meaningful Life

What is Your Philosophy of Life? Here are 16 Principles of Mine

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My friends have always seen me as a philosopher, so I thought it would be helpful to share my philosophy of life .

We need to let other people live their lives so we can live ours; we should always be open to experiences, learnings and be careful about choosing our battles. Nothing in life is stable, so being aware of the ups and downs will make matters easier. At the same time, we need to be personally responsible and willing to adjust to the situation.

Life is complicated, and we often come up with solutions without even realizing it.

You likely have a philosophy of life that you don’t think much about, so keep reading, as ew will share 16 principles that my life philosophy is based on.

Page Contents

1) Live and Let Live

Live and let live is probably the most crucial idea of all because it asks us to respect our lives and the lives of other people. But this idea also extends to letting people live freely and without unnecessary restrictions.

Within my worldview, I don’t like being told what to do, so I don’t like telling other people what to do either.

We need to have some rules in place so that things don’t get out of hand, but we should also try to avoid people who don’t share our core values as much as possible. While we can surely be upset when people wrong us, we also need to realize that it isn’t our business what other people do as long as they aren’t harming others in the process.

2) Always Be Learning

Learning isn’t about going to school or taking a class; it is about being curious and exploring the world. Learning from books is also essential as long as you like the books you are reading and aren’t being forced to read them.

Learning can also happen on the fly, during conversations with other people or by watching things happen in the world around us.

For myself, I’ve always been interested in learning about new things , but I can also appreciate that some people aren’t always like me. For this reason, I accept that some people aren’t built for learning, or at least aren’t as effective at it as others.

But learning is still an important value worth pursuing, so always be learning and willing to accept that you have been wrong; that way, you will always be moving forward.

3) Pick Your Battles

With any philosophy, you need to be open to the possibility that you’re mistaken or that people won’t always accept the truth. For this reason, I think it is imperative to know when a battle is worth fighting and when it is not.

Most battles aren’t worth the hassle because people don’t usually change, and arguments can hurt some people’s feelings.

At the same time, there are things worth fighting for, so we should stand up for them when we can. We all want to make the world a better place , but we also all have different ideas about getting there; this means that sometimes it’s better to let things be.

I know a lot of stuff and can often explain situations with great detail, but that doesn’t mean I know what to do or what the solution is.

Have humility and accept that you don’t always know the answers; it will make life easier and less stressful.

4) Stick With Your Decisions, Say No

Sometimes people push us to do things that we don’t want to do; this is why we need to stick with our decisions. For myself, I often know right away what I want, but due to pressure from other people, or a fear of letting them down, I might commit to things I don’t believe in.

The problem is that if we don’t want to do something, our heart isn’t going to be in it, so the outcome will be half-assed.

Learning to say no is often a difficult skill to acquire because we are often told to say yes to adventure. When our hearts say no, the problem with saying yes is that we proceed in the wrong direction and get further away from our goals.

I’m not suggesting that you say no when your friend asks you for help, but at the same time, don’t always say yes either.

5) Trust Your Gut

Luckily, my philosophy of life doesn’t need to be restricted to things that can be proven by science, as we might have a little trouble with this one.

Trusting your gut is about following your intuitions and doing things that feel right even if you don’t have any proof, evidence or assurance that it is the right choice.

If you’ve done a Myer Briggs assessment, you might have found that you are intuitive or not. We can’t expect everyone to follow their guts, but I know that I do. While my intuition has been controversial at times, it has often led me in the right direction and has helped me enjoy many different experiences.

Regardless of our personality type, we need to have faith in our own ability to make decisions .

6) There Are Ups and Down

We might like to think that life is all about successes and celebrations, but there are regular ups and downs to everything. I’ve learned over the years that life seems to follow cycles, and these cycles seem to be outside of my conscious understanding of the world.

This means that we need to be open to the possibilities and accept what life throws at us.

There can’t be sweet without sour, so there also can’t be the good without the bad. Often we don’t have much control over what is happening, so we have to learn as best as we can to live with it. Learn to accept the ups and downs, and life will be easier.

Also, understand that you can’t control everythin g, and you will find more control in the things you can.

7) Be Real and Trust Yourself

Often, we adjust who we are to the situation we find ourselves in, and at times this is necessary. I can’t wholly be myself at work because, otherwise, I might not have a job. But we can still be ourselves; if we are willing to get guidance from our guts and stick with what we believe in and enjoy.

Sometimes we also need to take the long road, and as long as we stick to it, we will find the satisfaction that we seek.

Being authentic is about trusting yourself and going with what you know about yourself and who you are. This means being honest with people when you are talking and true to your wishes and dreams . But the most difficult situations are those that challenge us and cause us to doubt ourselves or question our judgment.

So when push comes to shove, we need to stick with what we believe and trust ourselves.

8) Go For What You Want

If you are used to not getting what you want, you might not try to get it. In other words, part of what it takes to be true to ourselves and our philosophy is going after what we want. It is easy to ignore what you want and chase what you think you are supposed to want.

But to live life right, we need to go after what we truly want, and we need to have a plan or at least a destination.

Having a dream means having an ideal or goal that is larger than life, which is all fine and dandy, but it doesn’t mean anything unless you go for it. While our views on what we want might say something about us as thinkers, what matters is taking action and working towards a goal that we believe in.

If you aren’t chasing your goals and dreams, you aren’t living by my philosophy of life .

9) Make It Work and Find a Solution

When our shower broke, my first intuition was to open it up and see if I could figure out what was wrong. After a quick google search, it was all sorted out, and the next day I replaced the broken part and fixed the shower. When I told my friends about this, they said they would have called a plumber.

We can always work out our situation, even when we don’t know how to right off the bat.

The most important characteristic here is having the dedication to solving the problem or having the sense to stick with it till you find a solution. Every problem in our lives can often be broken down into solvable circumstances.

I don’t mean to make lite of your situation cause I don’t understand it, but I can say that it is possible to commit to making anything work, and it will.

10) Personally Responsible is Crucial

So many people blame the world for the things that are wrong with their lives. I can’t speak for all of them, but I know everyone has their challenges, but I also know that many of them can be worked out.

Taking personal responsibility is about looking at your situation and asking, “how can I make this better?”

If we take responsibility for our situation, we might blame ourselves for everything, but that is only partially true. It is important to realize that you don’t control the situation, but you control your reactions to it. Meaning we are personally responsible for our response, not to the situations themselves.

Blaming other people gives away our power; taking responsibility takes that power and puts it back in our hands.

11) Learn From Failure

We all make mistakes; we have all failed, and there will always be times when we could have done better. However, if we keep dwelling on those sorts of things, we only get pain; we want to learn from our failures and move forward.

When it comes to living our lives the right way, and in line with our philosophy, we must always improve and progress.

There was this study where a professor gave his pottery class an assignment. Half of the class would present one piece of work and be marked on it; the other half would be judged by how many pieces they created. Who do you think made the best pieces?

It turns out that we evolve with our mistakes, so the more pieces people created, the better their pottery turned out.

12) Be A Lover of Fate

There have been times in my life where I felt like I had no control over the direction my life was going. When we are young, we are impatient; we want everything to happen immediately, so we can’t seem to wait. However, now that I’m older, I see how everything that happened before was necessary for me to be where I am now.

There is so much that we can’t control, and as I mentioned before, we can often only control our response .

So to go through life and feel like it is all a part of a plan seems believable. I’m not making any claim to god or things unproven, just to the possibility that if we decided to see things as a holistic narrative, it makes things feel more genuine.

Rather than trying to fight the future, try to embrace it, it will make life much easier, and you will get to the same place in the end.

13) Remember Your Lessons

When people tell us stories, or we read novels about strangers’ lives, we might be exposed to all sorts of lessons. Some will be good, and some will be bad, but in the end, we will mostly forget them because they aren’t ours. We must always remember our lessons as we learnt them for a reason, and they happened so that we would figure something out.

Our lives are our own stories, they are filled with ups and downs, good and bad choices and everything in between, but no matter what, they are ours.

As we go through life, we are constantly being shown the way, so have faith, follow through with it, but don’t make the same mistakes twice.

Continually be improving, and you will always be learning from the lessons of the past.

14) Explore and Be Open to Opportunities

Figuring out what you want to do with your life is always a challenge, especially when you don’t know what you want to do. The only way to figure out what you like is to try lots of different things. I only discovered that rice was a great food when I moved to Korea to teach English.

I had to take a big risk in my life and travel to a new place to learn all sorts of things about myself.

While discovering how delicious rice is might not be everyone’s cup of tea, being open to experiences has always been a personality trait of mine. For this reason, I respect it and appreciate it in others, which is why it’s an important part of my philosophy of life.

I realize that everyone is different, regardless, some of us will need to push ourselves harder to try new things, but I guarantee it will be worth it in the long run.

15) Keep on Dreaming

We are often told to wake up and quit dreaming, but dreams are important, and we should keep them in our minds as we go through life. On the other hand, some of us have daydreams about what our future lives might look like.

While we can’t predict the future, having an idea of where we would like to go can always help by guiding us.

As long as we keep dreaming of something better, we always have the motivation to keep trying and working towards a destination. While sometimes our dreams can get us down if they are unrealistic, if we focus on what is realistic, even things that might seem extreme, they will always be within the realm of possibilities.

There is nothing wrong with dreaming about a better life, but you can’t just dream; you need to be willing to work towards it.

16) Stick to The Plan

While everything so far has been a principle of my philosophy of life, this last one is different cause it connects them all. There are many other ideas here, and it might be challenging to remember them all, but having an idea of what you want and what you should do gives you the advantage of consistency.

Every choice can’t always be our best choice, but if we know where we want to go and have a rough sense of how we should get there, it will always be more manageable.

Come up with a plan, even a simple one and stick to it, you might not always be correct, but you will at least be throwing darts at the same dartboard.

We might not always have the best plan, but having something is better than having nothing. So figure out what you want out of your life and stick to the plan.

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Live a Meaningful Life; Here is How

I've put together a 42 item guide on how to live a meaningful life by appreciating what we are already doing. Get your copy by entering your email address below.

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Robert Carr

Over the years, I've learnt to see things in a different light. This website is my place to share those insights and give my unique perspective on living a meaningful life.

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Developing Your Personal Philosophy of Life

7 tensions to resolve..

Posted January 8, 2020 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina

Pixabay, Public Domain

From Plato to Stephen Covey, it’s long been argued that life is more meaningful if guided by a foundational personal philosophy .

To that end, here are seven tensions the resolutions of which can help you develop your personal philosophy. Of course, you could choose a moderate position within each of these polar pairs but often people choose to aim toward one side or the other.

Planning vs. living in the moment. Clichés exist on both poles. Ben Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.” On the other hand, Emily Dickinson wrote, “Forever is composed of nows.” In deciding which way you want to lean, it may help to look at your track record: To date, has your planning been worth it? Or has your planning too often been wrong? Has it shepherded you toward worthy paths or closed to you opportunities you should have taken? Or has your planning too often kept you from appreciating your present moments, always looking ahead as I foolishly did when, as a 20-year-old touring Paris, I raced through the Louvre so I could make it to the Tuilieries before closing time?

Practical vs. idealistic. We have been preached both: “Be realistic,” and on the other hand, “Dream big. Follow your passion.” Which side to tilt toward may depend on your self-efficacy : Bright, driven, non-procrastinators have a better chance of achieving their idealistic dreams or at least, as suggested in another cliché: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars,” (Norman Vincent Peale).

Disciplined vs. laid-back. Many people find it more pleasurable to be laid-back. The question is whether that will contribute, net, to your success and contentment, or at minimum, will the decrement to your success be worth it? On the other hand, some people enjoy the process of being disciplined or at least are willing to be disciplined in the service of more successful outcomes. The question is, “How about you?”

Reflective vs. impulsive. Some of this is hard-wired. Impulsivity has a significant genetic component , but it’s not completely genetic. Again, look at your track record: Have you been more successful by making quick decisions and thus getting more done? Or have you been more successful when taking your time, reflecting, considering more of the implications?

Just vs. merciful. Solid arguments can be made for leaning either way. Justice, by definition, means that people get what, on the merits, they deserve. How primary is that to you? Other people prefer a life tilted more toward mercy: Even if, on the merits, a person deserves less, the mercy-centric person leans toward giving people a break. How about you?

Self-critical vs. self-accepting. Some people feel it’s worth being hard on themselves: being self-critical and ever trying to improve. On the other hand, other people feel that’s too big a price to pay and/or that enough of who they are is hard-wired or has been molded by early experience and current externalities that they’d rather focus on self-acceptance.

Self-reliant vs. communitarian. There are quotable quotes at both poles. Charlotte Bronte in Jane Eyre wrote, “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.” In contrast, Hillary Clinton famously said, “It takes a village.” Again, look at your track record. Has your reliance on other people yielded more benefit than liability to you and perhaps to them? Or have you done better by focusing on self-reliance?

The takeaway

So, do you want to write bullets or a paragraph or two describing your personal philosophy? If so, yes, consider the aforementioned seven tensions but there may be other factors that merit consideration. A few possible examples: the role of spirituality or religion? Your work or relationship non-negotiables? Your ethical red line in the sand?

my life principles essay

If you might find a model helpful, I offer my philosophy of life here.

Most people don’t follow their personal philosophy assiduously, but developing one can create guideposts that can help you live the life you want to live.

I read this aloud on YouTube.

Marty Nemko Ph.D.

Marty Nemko, Ph.D ., is a career and personal coach based in Oakland, California, and the author of 10 books.

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How Your Moral Principles Can Impact Your Life

Have you ever wondered why you make the decisions that you do? If you’ve experienced that uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach when you do something you know you’ll regret, it’s likely because of your moral principles, or your individual sense of right and wrong. 

Most people have a set of morals, with many having their morals at least partially tied to their culture, religion, or another external source (referred to as ethical principles). A sense of morality is one aspect of human behavior that sets us apart from other species, but it can vary greatly from one person to another. It may be helpful to explore your own moral principles, as they can influence various aspects of your life.

How moral principles impact your life

One definition of morals is, “the principles of right and wrong that are accepted by an individual or a social group”. As a general rule, we use morals to guide our individual actions. They help us make decisions based on what we feel is the “right” thing to do in a given situation. Without them, we would have little rhyme or reason for why we make the choices we do—or we’d only ever make choices that take our own needs into consideration. Our decisions would likely be impulsive and with little consideration for the consequences.

Our moral values often guide how we approach decision-making, address ethical dilemmas like conflict of interest, and implement professional standards like informed consent in patient care.

Making the effort to have a clear set of moral values can affect your behavior in many ways. You might be less easily influenced to act in ways that are contrary to your values, no matter the circumstances. You might be able to voice your opinions more readily, stand up for justice, and distance yourself from things that don’t match up with your own moral reasoning.

To put it another way, moral principles allow people to judge their own behaviors so that they can make changes as needed in order to feel that they’re doing the “right” thing—though some people might not have the same “rights” that you do, they’ll choose the best course of action depending on their individual values.

Furthermore, research over the years has demonstrated how central a set of morals is to who we are. One study found that “moral character” is the most important element of “impression formation” when we’re getting to know someone new. Another study involved five experiments which led researchers to declare that moral traits “are considered the most essential part of identity, the self, and the soul,” more than any other mental faculty. In other words, our morals are a fundamental part of our nature and how we interact with others. You can take a morality test for fun to get a glimpse of your morals.

Examples of moral principles

You can think of moral principles as a set of guidelines that help us decide how to handle ethical issues and other situations that may arise in life. Here are a few generally accepted examples of principles a person might hold:

  • Treat others the way you want to be treated and show them respect. This principle means taking the time to empathize with others and trying to see things through their eyes. While autonomy may be important, you can’t always do exactly what you want. This principle involves thinking about the situation someone else is in and considering what you’d want someone to do for you if the roles were reversed. Doing so can help strengthen equality in our country, a vital characteristic of a healthy society. 
  • Speak the truth. Honesty may help us speak up for what we want and give others the information they need to make decisions for themselves. A principle of virtue like this means that you strive to avoid lying, whether to yourself or others.
  • Don’t spend what you don’t have. Moral principles can even apply to how you handle your finances. These could include donating regularly to good causes, avoiding loaning money to friends so as to not complicate relationships, or not spending what you don’t have. This last one might entail living within a budget and doing your best to stay out of debt. While it may be tough, you can also benefit from having a thrifty lifestyle. 
  • Keep your word. Your word should have meaning, and following through with what you say you’re going to do is another example of a moral principle. This might include honesty, but also not making promises that you can’t keep. Sticking to your word can prevent harm, both to your reputation and to your relationships. 

The above are some common examples, but moral principles are personal—something you decide for yourself. If you’re setting out to choose what yours might be, the examples listed here can at least give you a starting point. Think about how you want to approach or handle relationships, conflict, fairness, finances, etc., or the type of person you want to be when faced with hard situations in any of these realms. That exercise can guide you toward the moral principles that feel right for you.

How to be accountable: Moral principles

Sticking to the moral code you’ve set for yourself can help you live a life that’s authentic to you. Remember, however, that no human being is perfect. We’re all bound to fall short of our morals from time to time, but having them in place reminds us of what to strive for next time. To help further your moral development, consider some of the following tactics.

Set written goals

Research shows that you’re 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down, so you can harness this fact to help you stick to your morals. Keeping a journal of what your goals are and how you’re progressing toward them can help you focus on accountability. For instance, you might want to perform one random act of kindness per week to practice empathy, be honest about personal boundaries when dating someone new, or save a certain amount from every paycheck. You can write each of these moral goals down and make notes regularly on how you’re coming along.

Listen to your instincts

Another method is to stay in touch with your gut instincts. An individual’s identity can determine when they listen to their “gut”. When you’re about to do something that, deep down, you feel is wrong in the context of your principles, think twice. Our gut instincts may be trying to tell us that something about the situation we’re in doesn’t fit our personal moral code.

Speak with a therapist

Finally, you may find it useful to speak with a therapist. While they’re not there to decide your moral code for you, they can help you get in touch with your true self and your beliefs so that you can draw conclusions about what your morals might be. They can help you examine the moral principles that parents or caregivers passed down to you, which may be outdated or based on a problematic part of history. These conversations can help you decide whether you want to keep them as part of your own code. They can also help you deal with any perfectionism you may have in regard to morality, and learn to forgive yourself. Whatever challenges you may be facing, a trained therapist can offer a nonjudgmental, unbiased space for you to explore and work through them.

Today, there are a variety of different ways in which you can connect with a mental health professional. Some find virtual therapy to be the best option for them. A 2020 study suggests that it can be just as effective as traditional face-to-face counseling, making it a “viable alternative.” Researchers also found that online therapy had other added benefits too, including “lower cost, no travel time, no waitlists, and trackable progress”. An online therapy platform like BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed therapist with whom you can meet via phone or video call and check in via chat. Remember: The best therapy method for you is the one that’s available and that you feel the most comfortable with.

Need help making decisions that align with your moral principles? Click here to get guidance from a therapist

Counselor reviews.

Read on for reviews of BetterHelp counselors who have helped people in similar situations.

“I’ve been working with Alicia for about 7 months now, and I can’t recommend her enough. She is unbelievably smart and yet filled with warmth, she’s non-judgmental but still able to see negative patterns, she gives solid frameworks and solutions when I need them, and is a listening ear when I need that. Alicia doesn’t just deal with the subject matter at hand, she remembers things I’ve told her weeks prior, small names or details or passing comments, and points out patterns I hadn’t noticed, helping me re-frame my own thoughts and behaviors, all while showing how much she’s really listening and paying attention. It makes me feel like I’m talking to a friend. One personal example of her intuitive spirit is what she said to me in my very first session with her which has stuck with me since that day. I told how “broken” I felt after my last couple roles in rather toxic work environments. And after telling why I had left those companies, mostly dealing with bosses/ colleagues who were bullies, dishonest and manipulative people who did a lot of damage, Alicia pointed out that I am not, in fact, broken, as the reason I left those companies was always the same – my deep rooted values of kindness and honesty would not allow me to be in that environment any longer, that my sense of self from a moral perspective had remained the same when many people bend their morals to succeed in stressful work situations. This reframing of the narrative I had been telling myself from the moment I quit changed everything for me, and she had known me for 45 minutes. For anyone on the fence about therapy and its benefits, Alicia is the empathetic soul we all need in our lives.”

my life principles essay

“Oliver has helped me in many ways despite our relatively short time working together. He’s helped me gain a better outlook on the world, and he has helped me install some new philosophies and principles that I’ve found to be very useful in my day to day life and coping with everyday stress, as well as helping me and guiding me through some tough personal decisions, and working on myself and my behaviour.”

my life principles essay

Moral principles can look different for everyone. Deciding on what yours will be can give you direction in life and help you make decisions. The tips on this list may help you in the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 7 moral principles? What are the six universal moral values?

What are the greatest moral values in life.

What are strong moral values? What are moral values in real life?

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Importance Of Principles In Life (Essay Sample) 2023

Table of Contents

Importance Of Principles In Life

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Life is full of many activities and influences that can either mislead a person or even shape their behavior to the best. Therefore, in order to survive this, it is important for a person to have principles so that they can guide them into making the right choices. Principles play different roles in the life of a person.

One of the main reasons as to why principles are important in life is the fact that they help an individual during the decision-making process. This happens in the event whereby the individual is in a dilemma of choosing ideas that have a close relationship. In such a case, a person can decide to choose the idea that makes more sense in life as compared to the other one. As a result, this makes it for individuals to make sound decisions without having to go through much stress. Hence, it is important for every individual to respect their principles and act according to them.

As well, principles help individuals in understanding the world around them and the reason as to why things happen the way they do. As a result, this brings about highly intelligent individuals who are able to make sound decisions. In the case of an individual who doesn’t have principles, then it would b difficult for them to understand various life issues in the current world. It is, therefore, important for every individual to set their own principles so that they can be able to understand the world. Having done so, then it means that a person can fit in the world well because they are able to differentiate between that which is good or bad.

In addition, principles help an individual to maintain good morals in everything that they do. A good example is the case of teenagers who are very prone to peer pressure from their fellow teenagers. Hence, if someone does not have principles, it will be easy for them to join bad activities being carried out by their friends such as drug trafficking and theft. Having principles would enable the teenager to realize that such activities are not very important in life and a person can live without them. Principles guide a person into doing what is good and beneficial in their life.

Principles enlighten individuals hence making them more open-minded about life as compared to people who lack principles. It is the idea of having an open mind that enables a person to handle any difficult situations that come their way. Having principles come along with an emotional intelligence which is responsible for non-standard thinking. The non-standard thinking enables a person to solve problems in a unique way that is different from the common solutions that people have been in regard to that particular problem. The end result of such thinking is that the individual ends up discovering new and beneficial things about themselves that they did not even know that they existed. Hence principles are important in life for the sake of wise thinking.

Concisely, principles are an important part of an individual’s life because they help a person discover themselves by choosing what’s good. This brings about the idea of earning respect from friends because principles help a lot in shaping the behavior of an individual. A person who has principles and can make their decisions without the influence of friends deserves to be respected and also, acts as a role model to other people. Therefore, every individual has the obligation of realizing that life is not just about doing the common things other people do but, instead, one should be principled in everything that they do.

my life principles essay

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My Moral Values

Introduction.

In the context of personal character, values are intangible qualities that are regarded as worth possessing due to their usefulness, importance or desirability. Virtually all values are morally relative in the sense that a particular value may seem good and beneficial to one person and yet be outright bad or inimical to others. So, values can be moral or otherwise depending on who is making the judgment. Moral values refer to a set of positive standards and principles that tend to guide or determine how a person distinguishes right from wrong, thus regulating his behaviours and choices. Great moral values have one thing in common – they dignify, enhance and protect life for the good of all.

What determines a person’s moral values?

There are three major sources from which we derive our moral values. One of these is from society and government. The customs, cultures and traditions of society as well as the laws enacted by governments all together shape and define the moral values of individuals within the community, whether we are looking at a small town, state, nation or the global community. Events as well as cultural and legal changes inevitably result in changes in the general moral value. Another source of moral value is religion, ideology or creed. The belief system or philosophical leanings of individuals leave in them a set of codes and list of dos and don’ts which shape and concretize their sense of good and evil, right and wrong. In spite of some of its variants with contradictory showings, Christianity rises well above all other religions and philosophies in going beyond a system of dos and don’ts, emphasizing a vital relationship with God through His Son and setting moral values that clearly transcend society’s mores and man’s selfish instincts. A final source from which moral value is derived is from within one’s own self. There is an innate, instinctive tendency to, from within one’s self, distinguish right from wrong. Evidence of this is ably demonstrated by toddlers who watch their parent before going for or against an instruction. As knowledge increases and an individual grows from childhood to adulthood, he strengthens his ability to make choices between the forbidden and acceptable, kind or cruel, generous or selfish, from within his own self. This ability, though untaught, is usually modified or tamed by the earlier two sources of moral values.

My moral values have been largely influenced by my family upbringing, that is, what my parents taught me while growing up and my strong Christian faith. In addition to this, however, there is considerable contribution from my education, personal experience, my appreciation of how government works and cultural integration in our global village of diverse but same humanity. It may not be possible to list them all but the core of my moral values are represented by these few: integrity, love, courage, respect, obedience, responsibility, kindness, fairness, humility, politeness and modesty.

Moral values are only truly valuable when put into action. The essence of knowing and cultivating fine moral values is not to hold them deep within but to put them into action whenever and wherever they are required.

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Home / Essay Samples / Life / Principles / Good Values And Principles In Life

Good Values And Principles In Life

  • Category: Sociology , Life
  • Topic: Personal Life , Principles , Values

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